Notebook: Performance of Carr, Hollister could force team into tough decisions

Taking a step back on this Sunday afternoon with a few news and notes on the Patriots:

Guys who are considered back-end-of-the-roster types who play well in preseason — like wide receiver Austin Carr and tight end Jacob Hollister — can create something of a dilemma for the team.

There’s a clear interest in seeing everyone succeed, of course, but there’s also the fact that they are playing well on the big stage, which tends to draw the attention of other teams. And that, in turn, will make it harder for teams to get them through waivers to the practice squad. In the case of Carr, who is looking to be part of an incredibly deep receiving corps in New England, if he’s cut by the Patriots with an eye toward getting him through to the practice squad, his performance on Thursday means he probably won’t be out there all that long.

New England had a similar situation with Kamu Grugier-Hill last summer; the sixth-round pick was a hybrid safety-linebacker who flashed very well over the course of the summer, but the Patriots simply had no place for him and held their breath when they had to cut him loose. (They held his locker open for him.) Predictably, he was immediately snapped up by the Eagles, and is now part of their linebacking rotation. It’s part of the team-building challenge every team faces over the course of the summer, and it’ll be fascinating how New England responds to the performances of Carr and Hollister.

Former Patriots pass-rusher Willie McGinest sounds like a man who has faith that New England will be able to get its pass-rushing questions answered before the start of the season. McGinest, who anticipates defensive coordinator Matt Patricia being able to bring pressure using a variety of blitzes, points to Kony Ealy and Trey Flowers as the two who will be asked to step their game up when it comes to getting after the quarterback.

“I look at guys like Kony Ealy, who they brought over from Carolina, and once he learns the system and become more comfortable, he's going to help in the pass rush,” McGinest said in a conference call this week. “Trey Flowers, a guy who emerged last year in a big way, is out there, getting a lot of time. Not sure if he's starting, but he's a guy who presents a problem for the pass-rushers. And they're still going to bring different blitzes, just depending on what they see from week to week.

“But I think they've got that figured out,” he added. “I think they've gotten better at the interior rush spot. And I think they've got guys on the edge that can get after the quarterback. When they can't, you know, what's most important to that defense and that scheme is not give up big plays. So they're not going to just bring the house all the time just to get pass rushed. But when the situation presents itself, they dial them up, and it's from week to week. So the systems change, rushers change, what they try to accomplish change every single week.”

Which teams will be able to provide the toughest challenge the Patriots this season? Former Patriots fullback Heath Evans picks the Steelers, which Reggie Wayne is going with Oakland.

“You better have two guys that can consistently rush the passer,” Evans said of the game plan to beat the Patriots. “You want to play from ahead, and there's just not a lot of teams that can do that. And if you don't have two guys that can rush the passer, you better have a key cog in the middle to push the middle of the pocket to constantly frustrate (Tom) Brady not being able to step up in the middle of the pocket. You better be able to score some points. The only team I know that can do that, that when all healthy, would be Pittsburgh with all their weapons. But (Le’Veon) Bell's got to get in camp. (Martavis) Bryant's got to bounce back the way we know he's capable of playing, and Ben (Roethlisberger) has to be healthy.

“The Raiders are definitely one of those teams,” Wayne said. “They are a team, when healthy, that can definitely put points on the board. I think their defense can be a little better. They've got some secondary woes, but I think playing a Tom Brady-based team, you're going to need your secondary to be right. So I think if they can get that settled down and under wraps this preseason, I think the chances are going to be higher. But the Raiders are definitely one of those teams.”

Wayne added: “You're going to always look at Denver, and if they can find a way to get home-field advantage and get New England to fly out there, they always seem to have a tough time out that way. There aren't many teams as of right now. You've got to look at maybe Kansas City. Maybe they can catch New England slipping here and there. But it's going to be tough. New England got better this off-season. You'd think that they couldn't get any better than they were, but I think with the signing of a Dwayne Allen and Brandin Cooks, you know, that was big. A healthy (Rob) Gronkowski.”

We’re also going to bring a few of the features we had at our old address forward. First, a penalty breakdown from the preseason opener for the Patriots (three penalties, 54 yards), not counting the flags that were declined or offset:

OL Conor McDermott: 1 (false start), 5 yards
DB Jason Thompson: 1 (defensive pass interference), 44 yards
Team: 1 (Defense — 12 men on the field), 5 yards

Looking ahead, here’s a quick peak at Brady’s statline for the second preseason game of the summer over the last 10 years.

2016: DNP vs. Bears
2015: 2-for-5 for 13 yards vs. Saints
2014: 8-for-10 for 81 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT vs. Eagles
2013: 11-for-12 for 107 yards, 1 TD vs. Buccaneers
2012: DNP vs. Eagles
2011: 11-for-19 for 118 yards, 2 TDs vs. Buccaneers
2010: 10-for-12 for 85 yards, 1 TD vs. Falcons
2009: 4-for-8 for 57 yards vs. Bengals
2008: DNP vs. Buccaneers
2007: 10-for-19, 145 yards, 1 TD, 2 INTs vs. Titans

Monday's practice session is the final Patriots practice open to the public at Gillette. The session runs 9:15-11:30 a.m.

Rest of the known schedule:

Tuesday: Joint practice with the Texans at The Greenbrier, W.V.
Wednesday: Joint practice with the Texans at The Greenbrier, W.V.
Saturday: Patriots at Texans, 8 p.m.